Analyst - Data & AI

About PACT Solutions

PACT Solutions is a specialist management and digital transformation consultancy dedicated to supporting higher education institutions throughout the UK. We collaborate closely with universities to tackle intricate challenges involving strategy, student records, data management, change initiatives, and delivery. Our role is pivotal in driving institutional transformation, enhancing student experiences, streamlining operations, and ensuring effective change management. As we transition from a founder-led boutique to a more structured, scalable organization, we continuously maintain the quality, culture, and partner orientation that define our work.

Our culture emphasizes partnership, integrity, inquisitiveness, and transformative impact, which are deeply embedded in everything we do.

Role Overview

We seek an Analyst to join our Data division to assist in delivering transformative projects for our higher education partners. This full-time role is primarily on-site based in Bristol or Manchester with flexible working options and occasional travel across the UK and Ireland.

This position is hands-on and delivery-focused, ideal for someone analytical, organized, and inquisitive eager to advance their career in data and transformation within the higher education sector. You will collaborate with senior colleagues across various domains including student records, data quality, change management, and delivery teams to undertake data analysis, improve data quality, and prepare data for new systems and processes.

Key Responsibilities

• Analyze and assess data quality, focusing on key student lifecycle datasets to detect issues, inconsistencies, and trends requiring remediation.
• Conduct structured reviews of data quality, applying defined rules and translating technical data concerns into actionable insights for multiple stakeholders.
• Coordinate data readiness evaluations, identifying risks and supporting data cleansing activities like standardization and duplicate removal.
• Support data validation and normalization across diverse source systems, ensuring alignment with project timelines.
• Contribute to creating informative dashboards and reports that track data quality, readiness, and program progress, communicating findings clearly to both technical and non-technical audiences.
• Assist in organizing workshops and working sessions on data quality, governance, and readiness while maintaining detailed records of issues and follow-ups.
• Collaborate with project teams, including project managers, technical staff, and business analysts to ensure data activities synchronize with broader project delivery goals.
• Enhance data governance practices and promote consistent working methods within partner institutions.
• Engage in internal development by improving methodologies, sharing knowledge, and supporting process enhancements within the Data practice.

Required Experience and Skills

• Background in data analysis, management, business intelligence, or related fields, supported by training or strong interest.
• Proven experience in data analysis, reporting, or data quality roles within complex environments.
• Competency in building dashboards and reports using tools such as Power BI or SSRS.
• Proficient in SQL and capable of examining datasets to identify data patterns and issues.
• Experience resolving data quality challenges and producing clear documentation for varied audiences.
• Strong analytical thinking, attention to detail, and comprehension of data architectures and system relationships.
• Excellent communication and organizational abilities with comfort communicating to both technical and non-technical stakeholders.
• Collaborative mindset with good judgement, resilience, and adaptability in fast-paced, delivery-oriented settings.
• Passion for continuous learning, professional growth, and contributing positively to team culture.

Preferred Qualifications and Experience

• Familiarity with higher education sector operations and student lifecycle processes.
• Experience supporting digital transformation or system implementations such as Student Records, ERP, or CRM.
• Exposure to consultancy work, data governance, and quality management practices.
• Knowledge of version control systems like GitHub and project management methodologies such as agile.
• Experience with student systems from providers like Tribal, TechnologyOne, Ellucian, or Thesis.

Benefits

• Opportunity to develop consulting and data delivery skills across diverse university transformation projects.
• Chance to take greater ownership of deliverables and partner-facing activities over time.
• Access to mentoring and structured professional growth including training to expand consulting competencies.
• Clear career progression pathway within the Data consulting stream, advancing from Analyst through Consultant to higher roles.